ROLLS-ROYCE SALE AT SHANNONS AIDS CANCER SUFFERERS

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Life will now be easier for cancer sufferers in Victoria's Western District following the sale last night (Sept. 1) of a desirable Rolls-Royce for $24,000 at Shannons Melbourne Spring Auction.

The beautiful Porcelain White 1973 Corniche 2-Door Saloon with its maroon leather and cherry red carpets was the much-loved vehicle of well-known theatre consultant and pioneering lighting designer, Denis Irving, who died at his home in Terang in March this year after a long illness.

The Corniche fulfilled Mr Irving's lifelong ambition to own a Rolls-Royce, but sadly he only managed to drive the car a few times before his health deteriorated.

Because of the joy it brought him in the final months of his life and in appreciation of the care he received during his illness from the Cancer Department of the St John of God Hospital in Warrnambool, Mr Irving's family is donating all proceeds from the sale to the Hospital's Day Chemotherapy Unit, where the money will be used for the purchase of a number of new treatment chairs for day patients.

It was a good night for the Irving family, with a 1955 Vincent Rapide Solo motorcycle featuring an air-cooled V-twin engine designed by Denis Irving's father ˜ celebrated automotive engineer Phil Irving ˜ selling comfortably above expectations for $45,000.

Classic Estate cars and commercial vehicles also performed strongly in the auction, with a 1958 Morris Minor ‏Woodie' Traveller station wagon in excellent ‏daily-drivable condition selling after energetic bidding for an unprecedented $17,500, while a rare 1956 Austin A30 Countryman Estate offered with no reserve price brought $8,500 and a very original 1946 GMC tray truck going for $14,000.

Other good results were the $50,000 paid for a stylish and very well presented 1956 Ford Thunderbird Convertible, $38,000 for a very desirable 1964 Porsche 356SC Coupe that needed some rust repairs and $26,5000 for a rare 1966 Ford Falcon XP DeLuxe coupe.

Victorian black and white numeric number plates continued to perform, with ‏928', ‏3.003' and '61.478' each selling on estimate for $60,000, $28,000 and $8,500 respectively, while ‏248.315' made excellent buying when it sold with no reserve price for $5,000.

The demand for automobilia was also strong, with a restored 1920s Woodward manual petrol pump in Golden Fleece livery bringing an excellent $7,900; a 1950s Casey Jones ‏Cannonball Express' train brought $1,750, an A26 Invader remote control model plane with a 9ft. wingspan brought $3,500 and a 1950s Ferrari ‏Arno XI' Hydroplane replica model boat sold for $2,200.

The auction also presented plenty of affordable opportunities, with a 1966 left hand drive Mustang Coupe going unreserved for $17,000; a pair of early 1970s Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Saloons selling with no reserve price for $9,500 and $12,750 respectively, a 1978 ‏Rubbernose' MGB Roadster selling unreserved for $5,500 and a smart, red 1981 Jaguar XJ6 Series 3 saloon being knocked down for $2,250.